Chapter 31
Hades
Fuck.
Teaching Serapina how to pleasure a knot certainly wasn’t on my agenda for today. I was in the middle of re-manifesting the heart of the maze. I wanted to add some life, which isn’t my specialty at all, but I was trying to create a surprise for my mate.
Instead, I felt her call—her need—and ended up misting back to the cabin to check on her.
Which is when I overheard her conversation with Maliki and Morpheus, their discussion on the importance of communication pleasing me.
I was about to return to my task when I heard her say she was thinking about me. At first, it felt wrong to eavesdrop, and I fully expected to be punished for it—by hearing her speak her negative thoughts aloud.
However, the dynamic shifted when she expressed concern that I might be avoiding her.
If anything, I was giving her space to process, just like Morpheus said.
But at that point, I couldn’t remain in the hallway any longer. I needed to speak for myself.
And now… now I’m going to prove that I can learn how to share—not just to her, but to myself as well.
Even if it goes against every instinct I possess, I mentally mutter.
Stepping through the threshold, I slip out of my jacket and walk over to drape it across the back of a nearby chair.
Serapina’s eyes are on me as I unfasten my cuff links, causing me to want to exaggerate my movements. I set them on the table beside the chair, then undo the cuffs of my dress shirt to slowly roll the fabric to my elbows.
All while my mate observes me.
Her attention is a welcome caress, her open interest causing my knot to throb in response. But I don’t allow her to see my intrigue as I face her, instead looking down as I complete my task and only meeting her gaze as I reach up to unfasten and pull off my tie.
“Undress,” I tell her, the demand leaving my lips with ease.
Serapina swallows, her lashes fluttering a little as her inner Omega peeks at me from within. She’s trying to be bold, which just makes her that much more alluring.
Because Persephone was never like this in the bedroom. She always submitted.
But Serapina… Fuck. She holds my gaze as she tugs the other strap of her gown down, providing me with an unfettered view of her chest. I allow her to see my approval as I glance down, pleased that she’s obeying me. But even more pleased that she’s confidently doing so.
I sit down in the chair that I draped my jacket over and smile when Serapina goes up onto her knees in the center of the bed. It’s a beautiful sight, my mate kneeling with her hands on her hips. And an even more alluring view as she gathers the fabric of her gold negligee around her hips.
My lips part as she pulls the dress upward to remove it from over her head, leaving my female completely naked whilst kneeling.
“Fuck, Sera,” Maliki groans, his gaze roaming over her with open admiration.
“She’s truly stunning, isn’t she?” Morpheus comments as he leans back into the pillows and tucks an arm behind his head. I suspect he’s doing that to keep himself from touching her. He knows I want to lead this lesson, and he’s ensuring I remain in charge by holding himself back.
“Fucking exquisite,” Maliki replies.
A pretty blush spreads across Serapina’s chest, but she doesn’t look down or away from me. Instead, she holds my gaze like she’s waiting for me to compliment her, too.
No, not waiting so much as demanding that I share my thoughts. Tell her how I feel. Give her some indication of my approval.
But I’m not sure how to reply with words. She’s a Goddess. The most gorgeous creature in all the dimensions. And I can’t believe she’s mine.
So rather than speak, I push away from the chair and walk over to where she’s kneeling on the bed.
She swallows as I stare down at her, my heart suddenly in my hand as I reach out to brush my knuckles down her cheek. “Are you ready to begin, darling?” I ask her softly, my thumb tracing her jaw.
Serapina nods. “Yes, my lord.”
My touch lingers, part of me not wanting to release her ever again. She’s the first person I’ve allowed myself to caress since I lost Persephone. The first being I’ve actually wanted to indulge. The first woman to bring me to my knees in well over two thousand years.
She has no idea what power she holds over me and my instincts, how my beast longs to worship her in every way imaginable.
But she’s right to want to learn.
There’s so much that she doesn’t understand. So much for her to experience.
However, I still can’t bring myself to step away from her. Instead, I find myself leaning toward her. My knee on the mattress, my palm cupping her cheek, my forehead meeting hers…
It’s a tender moment.
A second of submission on my part.
A deep-seated need to simply shower her with my gentleness.
No one else will ever witness this side of me. No one except her and the males in this room.
I can’t even be bothered by their presence, not while holding my mate.
They’re here to please her, too. Which means they understand my gesture more than anyone else ever could.
An exhale escapes Serapina, her subtle shudder telling me this hold is impacting her just as much as it’s impacting me.
Maybe even more so.
Because this is about our souls. Our hearts. Our beings.
We’re rekindling something here that’s been long forgotten, or perhaps awakening a new bond.
This is all so convoluted. But resurrections have never been a straightforward process.
And nothing about Persephone’s initial disappearance could be considered normal. Yet she’s kneeling before me in a brand-new state, one I think I may be falling for in an entirely new way.
It brings up my previous reflection where I wondered if it’s wrong to crave her like I do, all while knowing she’s not the Persephone I once adored.
Does it matter? This is fate. This is who we are. This is my Omega.
I want to taste her.
To know her.
To be with her.
My heart skips a beat in my chest, the organ seeming to only exist for her. This Omega. My mate.
I know she’s waiting for a demand, but there isn’t one I can give. Not like this. Not right now. Because I’m too consumed by a need I can’t explain or define. A need that overrules reason and thought and compels me to lean forward. To kiss her.
I don’t fight the urge. I merely give in to it.
And press my lips to hers.
The way she sighs against me says it was the right way to show my approval. She didn’t need words; she needed actions, a knowledge her body proves by melting into mine as I deepen the kiss with my tongue.
Fuck, she tastes like the sweetest sin.
A temptation I shouldn’t allow myself to explore.
Yet I’m a slave to her being, lost to her existence, consumed by her soul.
My Serapina.
The resurrected form of my mate.
My everything.
The one I’m meant to be with for eternity.
My true heart.
The Omega I have to share because that’s what she desires. And I want to give her the world.
But more than that, I want to protect her.
Which I know Maliki and Morpheus will help me do. It’s unnatural to rely on anyone other than myself, yet I can’t deny the relief I feel knowing Serapina will always be safe with us.
Unlike Persephone, a dark part of me whispers. I failed her.
And I started by failing Serapina, too.
However, I’m going to make it up to her. It’s a vow I whisper with my tongue against hers, a promise I solidify by clasping my palm around the back of her neck, and a benediction my soul whispers to hers as I hold her close.
I’ll be better, Serapina. I’ll be everything you need and more.
Which means I need to prove I can do this. Prove I can share.
It hurts, but I slowly ease away from Serapina, my mouth hovering against hers for a lingering moment before I press my lips to her ear.
“I want you to be my good girl and take off Morpheus’s pants,” I whisper to her. “Then you’re going to do the same to Maliki. After that, you’re going to touch them, Serapina. With both your hands and your tongue.”
She shudders against me, her nipples so hard I can feel them through my dress shirt.
“If this becomes too much, though, I want you to say my name, okay?” I add softly, my eyes meeting Morpheus’s before looking at Maliki. I know they can hear me, and they’ll understand the importance of what I’m doing. “Tell me you understand, Serapina.”
“I understand,” she breathes.
“Very good, darling,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to her skittering pulse. “And if for some reason you can’t speak, I want you to hold up two fingers.” I grab her hand to create the action I mean and hold it up for her to see as I ease back from her. “Understood?”
“I understand,” she echoes, swallowing.
Smiling, I cup her cheek again and lean in to brush my mouth against hers. “Good girl,” I praise her. “Now go free Morpheus’s knot and Maliki’s cock. I want to watch you pleasure them.”
Her pupils dilate as I pull away, her lips deliciously swollen. But not nearly as swollen as they’re about to be. Because she has two mates to please, and I know they’re going to enjoy testing her limits.
I hold her gaze while walking backward to my chair, then I sit and lift one leg to balance my ankle on my opposite knee.
Serapina stares at me for a long moment, causing me to arch a brow. “Is there a problem, darling?” I ask her.
She licks her lips and shakes her head. “No, my lord.”
My lips twitch. The formal address is one I usually hate, but not from her. It feels purposeful right now, like she’s using it as a way to communicate her comfort level. My name is her safe word. She might not know what that means, but it’s implied. So she’s using a title instead.
“Then get to work,” I tell her, a hint of command in my tone. “I expect eagerness, Serapina. And obedience.”
A pretty flush blossoms across her cheeks, followed by a hint of resolve. She wants to please me. But more important than that, she wants to be strong. Courageous. Adventurous. I can see the determination flashing through her features as she rotates toward Morpheus.